In Canada, the prime minister is traditionally very involved in the shaping of the country’s foreign policy. Promoting and defending the national
interest, the prime minister plays a vital role as one of its managers, at times
in tandem with the minister of foreign affairs, at times as the key actor.
This is due, in large part, to the parliamentary system in which Canadian
policies are set. The principle of responsible government, which is at the
heart of the Canadian system, solidly anchors the leadership and the authority that the prime minister exercises, especially in the realm of foreign
relations.1 In addition, some observers may argue that foreign policy offers
prime ministers glamour and exposure, but they overlook the fact that, unlike the United States where a foreign affairs role has an important impact
on domestic perception of the leader, politics in Canada is essentially “local.” What is of importance is that these relations are conducted with the
prime ministers’ counterparts around the world, which helps to explain
why foreign affairs fall more easily under the leaders’ purview, a phenomenon accentuated by summit diplomacy.2 This prominent role is reinforced

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